On June 27, a 40-member delegation that included the Mayor of Washington DC, Muriel Bowser, and the CEO of Children’s National Health System there, celebrated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for collaboration Rambam Health Care Campus and Children’s National.
The first official delegation from Washington, DC to visit Israel arrived at Rambam with a special purpose: the official signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between DC’s Children’s National Health System and Rambam Health Care Campus, in Haifa, Israel. The signing marks the begin¬ning of an official collaboration between the two institutes, aimed at furthering pediatric research.
Leading the collaboration on the Rambam side is Professor Myriam Ben-Arush, Director of the Division of Pediatrics and the Ruth Rappaport Children's Hospital. “Children’s health is my personal and professional passion,” she shares. “I am deeply moved by the signing of this agreement, which is laying the foundation for a two-pronged collaboration in the fields of pediatric emergency and pediatric oncology focused on developing new therapies for brain tumors in children. We will be promoting the exchange of biomedical knowledge and collaborations with the ultimate goal of promoting children’s health worldwide.”
Signing of the MOU marks the fruition of several years of research between Professor Ben-Arush and Professor Roger Packer, Head of Oncology Services at Children’s National. Her expertise in treating pediatric brain tumors, together with Rambam’s International Teaching Center for Trauma, Emergency, and Mass Casualty Situations (MCS) made Rambam an ideal partner for Children’s National, for the furthering of pediatric research and trauma training. In fact, this collaboration is the only one Children’s National has with an Israeli institution. In the future, Professor Ben-Arush and Professor Packer plan to work on experimental therapies for malignant brain tumors in children.
Children’s National Health System was recently ranked #5 nationally among children’s hospitals in the US, and #1 for its newborn care. “Like Children’s National, Rambam Health Care Campus is committed to promoting the health of children around the world,” says Professor Kurt Newman, M.D., president and CEO of Children’s National. “I am confident our collaboration and commitment to global partnerships will lead to advancements in pediatric care, research, public health, and emergency preparedness.”
Leading the delegation was Mayor Murial Bowser. “This collaborative effort between Children’s National and Rambam Health Care Campus shows that, in 2019, we can work with partners around the globe to innovate and provide the types of world-class health care our children and families deserve,” said Mayor Bowser. “This trip has been all about building relationships and partnerships that benefit communities in both Washington, DC and Israel.” During her trip, Mayor Bowser also met with the mayors of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing their cities on affordability, housing, transportation, and inclusive prosperity.
Following the signing, Mayor Bowser, Dr. Newman, and the rest of the delegation toured the Sammy Ofer Fortified Underground Emergency Hospital. Several delegation members commented on the impact their visit had on how they viewed Israel, sharing, “I have to come back.”